Pr. Nonas Sextiles Dyrrachio sum profectus, ipso illo die, quo lex est
lata de nobis; Brundisium veni Nonis Sextilibus: ibi mihi Tulliola mea
fuit praesto natali suo ipso die, qui casu idem natalis erat et
Brundisinae coloniae et tuae vicinae Salutis; quae {5} res animadversa a
multitudine summa Brundisinorum gratulatione celebrata est. Ante diem vi
Idus Sextiles cognovi, cum Brundisii essem, litteris Quinti, mirifico
studio omnium aetatum atque ordinum, incredibili concursu Italiae legem
comitiis {10} centuriatis esse perlatam: inde a Brundisinis
honestissimis ornatus iter ita feci, ut undique ad me cum gratulatione
legati convenerint. Ad urbem ita veni, ut nemo ullius ordinis homo
nomenclatori notus fuerit, qui mihi obviam non venerit, praeter eos {15}
inimicos, quibus id ipsum, se inimicos esse, non liceret aut dissimulare
aut negare. Cum venissem ad portam Capenam, gradus templorum ab infima
plebe completi erant, a qua plausu maximo cum esset mihi gratulatio
significata, similis et frequentia {20} et plausus me usque ad
Capitolium celebravit, in foroque et in ipso Capitolio miranda multitudo
fuit. Postridie in senatu, qui fuit dies Nonarum Septembr., senatui
gratias egimus.
CICERO, _Ep. ad Att._ iv. 1.
[Linenotes:
1. +Dyrrachio+ (formerly _Epidamnus_, mod. _Durazzo_), a town in
Illyria, on a peninsula in the Adriatic. It was the usual port of
landing and departure from and for Brundisium (distant about 100
miles).
3. +Tulliola+, Cicero’s dearly-loved daughter Tullia, the only one
of his family of whose conduct he never complains, and his tender
and sympathising companion in all his pursuits.
4-5. +qui casu ... coloniae.+ Brundisium was founded 244 B.C. The
Via Appia terminated here.
5. +tuae vicinae Salutis+, the Temple of Salus on the Quirinal was
near the house of Atticus.
9. +Quinti+ (sc. _Ciceronis_): Cicero’s only brother, a gallant
soldier (e.g. as legatus to Caesar in Gaul), but a man of violent
temper. Proscribed by the Triumvirs, and put to death in 43 B.C.
11-12. +a Brundisinis ... ornatus+ = _having received attentions
from the most respectable men of Brundisium_.
13. +legati+ = _deputations_, i.e. from the various towns en route.
14. +nomenclatori+ (= lit. _one who calls by name_, cf. καλ-έω,
_Cal-endae_): a confidential slave who attended his master in
canvassing, and on similar occasions, and told him the names of the
people he met.
18. +ad portam Capenam+ (_Porta S. Sebastiano_), by which the Via
Appia led to Capua. ‘Cicero, perhaps for effect, followed the line
of triumphal procession.’ --Impey.]
B46
CICERO’S RECANTATION, 56 B.C.
_In praise of Caesar._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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